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With so many companies shifting to business casual, casual Fridays or everyday casual dress codes, it's understandable if you're struggling with what to wear to a job interview. If you're a guy, your interview attire is relatively simple: A dark suit with a basic-color shirt and tie are appropriate, regardless of the position you're interviewing for. Avoid wearing clothes or accessories that are too casual for the position or that make you stand out from the work environment.

Suit

Avoid wearing a suit that isn't conservative or tailored. You needn't invest in a high-end, handmade designer suit made from the costliest fabric ever woven; however, choose the best-quality suit you can afford. Stay away from suits that have accouterments such as brads, oddly shaped or large buttons, exceedingly wide lapels, patch pockets, wide stripes or any kind of design, even if it's a tone-on-tone design that blends with the color of the suit. Stick with a plain three-button suit with matching slacks.

Shirt

In some instances, an interviewer might encourage you to dress casually. If the recruiter or hiring manager insists that you not wear a suit jacket or sport coat, don a shirt and tie. Alternatively and as seasonally appropriate, wear a sweater, shirt and tie. If you have tattoos, don't let them show. Wear a long-sleeved shirt or sweater to cover any body art.

Color

Don't wear loud or gaudy colors to a job interview, whether in a suit, shirt or tie. Basic suit colors like navy, gray or brown are your best bet for projecting a professional image that doesn't distract the interviewer's attention or make you the laughingstock of the HR department. A dark-colored suit, white shirt and coordinating tie is standard interview attire for guys.

Accessories

While a plain white pocket square is an acceptable accessory for guys, things like novelty hats or baseball caps are unacceptable, and should never be worn to an interview. Cuff links and tie pins also should be avoided. Jewelry should limited to a watch and a maximum of one ring. Don't wear excessive jewelry, such as neck chains or bracelets, and always remove your earrings when you go on a job interview. As fashionable as earrings might be for guys, they usually are not well-received in an interview setting.

Shoes

Lace-up wingtip shoes or loafers in black, brown or navy are entirely appropriate for an interview, and coordinate nicely with dark-colored suits. Don't wear shoes that are in ill repair -- make sure your shoes are neatly polished without scuffs or stains. Never wear sneakers or any other type of athletic or casual shoes to a job interview.

Hair

Generally speaking, guys should avoid wearing unconventional hairstyles, such as ponytails, dreadlocks, braids, cornrows or unusually dyed hair, to an interview. Although some unconventional hairstyles may be acceptable because they can be a reflection of your personality, evaluate the type of job you're interviewing for to determine whether you need to cut your hair to project a more polished and professional image. Likewise, avoid wearing a long beard, handlebar mustache or pork-chop-shaped sideburns.

Cologne

The best advice for men's cologne is: don't wear any. Good hygiene should be enough. A mildly scented aftershave is probably okay, but dousing yourself in cologne is not a good idea when you're going to an interview. There's too much risk of putting on too much cologne and offending the interviewer or making him uncomfortable because of an overpowering scent.

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About the Author

Ruth Mayhew has been writing since the mid-1980s, and she has been an HR subject matter expert since 1995. Her work appears in "The Multi-Generational Workforce in the Health Care Industry," and she has been cited in numerous publications, including journals and textbooks that focus on human resources management practices. She holds a Master of Arts in sociology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Ruth resides in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.

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Mayhew, Ruth. "What to Avoid Wearing to Your Interview If You Are a Guy." Work - Chron.com, http://work.chron.com/avoid-wearing-interview-guy-2049.html. Accessed 21 January 2019.

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